Here Is What’s New In The Latest Lion Update [Screenshots]

Here’s the handsome new login screen in the update to OS X Lion Developer Preview 4, that Apple released on Wednesday afternoon.

It’s a dark linen motif, and it’s used in several places in the Lion and iOS 5. We got sneak peek of this color scheme during Steve Jobs’ presentation at WWDC. Now it has been rolled out to developers, and soon to the public. Who’s excited?

Here’s screenshots of some other new stuff in the update (Build number 11A494A). Lion is shaping up nicely:

Here’s the login screen again showing a single user account. There’s a small arrow in the password box that brings up the password hint when clicked. Note the battery indicator, WiFi signal strength and time in the upper right corner. Clicking the clock cycles through the computer name, IP address and current build.

Here is the battery indicator, WiFi and time in more detail.

The graphics glitches that plagued the startup screen have now been fixed, according to reports.

The dark linen background is also used in Mission Control. Invoking Mission Control now defaults to an upward three- or four-finger swipe.

And here is dark linen again, as the folder background in Launchpad.

Earlier versions of the Lion beta suffered from missing icons in Launchpad, which has now been fixed.

The “About This Mac” box has a slightly modified look. Instead of icons there are now just the words: “Displays,” “Storage,” etc. Here is what the old one looks like.

And here is the Storage screen showing current usage of the hard drive (or SSD in this case). There’s a handy link to Disk Utility.

The icons in previous versions of Mail were a little cryptic. A paper airplane to mean send? A new option allows them to show both text and icon. The Mail database has also been updated.

As well as new features, there are new bugs. Two-finger swiping to go back a page in Safari no longer works. However, there is a workaround: Go to System Preferences>Trackpad>More Gestures. Hit the “Swipe between pages” menu and select “Swipe left or right with three fingers.” Voila — it works!

This may not be new but I just noticed it. The Downloads button in Safari includes a blue status bar.

hopefully, format icon will bring normal format window with fonts and colors in one place.

Matthew McAlister

My Trackpad won’t recognize four-finger gestures anymore.

James McGhie

The downloads tab in Safari was present since DP3, but has had the UI shown above since the first DP4 release.

baant

I’m excited :)

Mike

Was hoping they would pretty up Finder a bit and more it a bit more modern looking – been the same lok and feel for a few years now!

Gordon_Keenan

So Dark Linen is newsworthy… Sometimes less information is better than trivia that is just being used to fill up a page. Should we get excited over a new colour? Yeah of course! It’s an Apple thing! The operating system is coming out soon enough, why not leave it alone until launch day and then get excited over triviality!

Dajomu1

looks like Ubuntu Unity

Hampus

Huh, Well I wouldn’t say it does, but if it does it’s the other way around.

Ben

Just updated. Two finger navigation in safari is working for me :) plus four finger gestures

Deadpixelx

Seriously, nobody thinks like me, that apple should review the consistence of its design ?These textures everywhere like my grandfather desk… and the real-look of applications like calendar or notebook as it’s done on ipad !I think the os design is getting older when devices are more hi-tech … I agree that can be eye caching the first time, but the line apple is taking isn’t really what I expected from them.Apple design has to be popular, so I understand the idea but something simpler could match more professional and familiar use too.This is just my opinion and know for that for tastes everybody has a different opinion.What do you think?

Tallest_Skil

Save for the removal of icons in About This Mac and the new login screen, all of this stuff isn’t new. It was either present in Developer Preview 1 or was added before Developer Preview 3, for heaven’s sake.

Ben

Okay I lied. I’m now having trouble with gesture navigation with some websites. Doh!

Elliot George

Is it possible to get any full size screenshots of the login screen? Would love to take a proper look.

Yaron G

I have a question when I start my lion and get to the place were I need to put in the password altho I write the correct one it acts as if it’s wrong what can I do to fix it?

Daniel Ström

The paper airplane isn’t new in Lion. It has been in Mail.app for ages.

arti.fact

From some that does’nt do Developer stuff it looks boring.

MacGoo

I’m just thankful that Apple didn’t decide to make the horrendous iTunes vertical close, minimize and maximize buttons universal. And I hope they change it back in Lion.

chabig

“The icons in previous versions of Mail were a little cryptic. A paper airplane to mean send? A new option allows them to show both text and icon.”

Mac OS X has always been able to show both text and icons in the Toolbar.

Beast_m

i hope Safari works smoothly in the new updatebecause i am tired of getting the beachball opening new tabssomething i don’t face on firefox

i quit safari because of this.

technibit

Lion looks so awesome, I wish I had a macbook so bad…

Michael Solis

what about folks with older macbooks that won’t support 3 or 4 finger swipes. Will we still be able to use active corners like we do now with snow leopard?

Nutz320

I like it vertical for iTunes. What I don’t like is the new full-screen button taking the space that used to be occupied by the ‘hide toolbar’ button.

davimount

Wow, I LOVE Lion (:

studentrightsx

I love everything except the icons on the startup screen. Just looks offensive. Bad. I would prefer the flatter squared look (instead of round) that we see used for buttons. Plus I take each icon displayed and desaturate it by 50% but I could live without that. In the end the round icon just doesn’t go with all the squared items in the OS. Butt ugly.

The Lien look is great though. Softens the look. Nice change from the hard, shiny, glossy look all computers have always had.

Dilbert A

i love it.

Duncanzine

I love my Macs and I love Snow Leopard. The new Lion looks great, but I’m just not sure how I feel about OS X going the way of looking like iOS. I’ll have to give it a try before I pass judgement of course. Am cautiously excited to give this a whirl.

conmas

Not to be “that guy”, but the “Show Icon and Text” option in Mail and other toolbars has existed for years and years.

laflerd

The new login login screen is so ugly. The gray background and those tiny little photo circles? What is up with all the grey? Also the faux leather in address book and contacts has to go. I found a work around for that.